


Some Things Must End (But That Doesn't Mean We Can't Begin)

by Captain_BittieBubble



Series: The Adventures of Mary Elizabeth [1]
Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27481054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_BittieBubble/pseuds/Captain_BittieBubble
Summary: After a good soaking from the Delancey brothers, Miss Mary finds herself taking care of her boys.On a completely unrelated note, she also finds herself single once more.
Relationships: Morris Delancey/Original Female Character (Past), Romeo/Kid Blink, Romeo/Kid Blink/Original Character
Series: The Adventures of Mary Elizabeth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022023
Kudos: 2





	Some Things Must End (But That Doesn't Mean We Can't Begin)

“Why, if it ain’t da prettiest sight in all’a Manhattan! Is dat my Mary?” She hears him before she sees him, and a smile comes onto her face and she spins to look at the circulation desk. It’s early in the morning, but she’s already walking about with her basket of flowers and her baby brother bundled up in her arms. She’s only 17 but her brother is as good as hers, barely a month old but already neglected by the parents that made them both. Perhaps that is why little Edward Oliver Magdalen feels safest in her arms rather than their mother’s.  
“And you’se got little Oliver wit ya. How’s he doin’?” Mary snaps out of her thoughts and makes her way to way to the front of the desk, smiling up at her boyfriend of two months now. Morris Delancey. “He’s been coughin’ a little, my darlin’ baby, but it isn’t anything I cannot handle. How are you, Morris?” He meets her at the front of the desk, hopping over to hold her at the waist and press a small kiss to her lips. “I’m doin’ alright, darlin’. Bell’s about to be ringin’, meaning them damn friends’a yours’ll be here soon.” Mary gives him a disapproving look, her smile gentle but small. She opens her mouth to say something, but a cool burst of air causes her joints to seize up a bit and a wince of pain to leave her. She rolls her knees a bit and shakes her head.  
With a sigh, she adjusts her baby brother to be further bundled against her in his blanket. “Oh, Morris, you know I hate it when you talk about them like that. They’re good fellas, you know, always looking out for each other and for me and Edward.” Morris gains an irritated gleam to his eyes, something that usually happened when she talked about her newsies so fondly. He’d never liked how close she is to them, how she talks about some of them with more fondness than others. As if she’ll leave him for them. “Yeah, Mary, I get it.” He brushes off her words and it feels like a sting in her chest, but she smiles and bares with it. “How about you come see me after those papers are sold, hm? We can walk around town together, maybe go to that bakery you like?” “I can’t, Mary, you know that.” He does not ask her how she is.  
With a soft sigh, she presses a kiss to his cheek and starts her way into newsie square, where the others are beginning to gather like they always do before the bell tolls. Quickly, and with much more effort than usual, she puts a bright beam on her face and adjusts her brother. “My, my, if isn’t my boys, rising up from the dead! How are you this fine-” “Miss Mary!” She isn’t even able to finish her question before two small bodies launch themselves at her aching legs. She winces, but covers it up with a soft, happy laugh, using her free hand to pat their heads. “Hello, darlings! Did you miss me?” Les beams up at her, as does the small boy by the name of Mute, and she can’t find it in herself to tell them to let go of her legs, no matter how much they hurt. She brushes back a blonde ringlet behind her ear and smiles sweetly back at them, giggling softly under her breath.  
“Skittery, ya know Miss Magdalen-” “I am just fine, Jack Kelly, do not you worry. Now, what are you boys up to this fine morning?” She gently pushes Skittery off of her left leg, the one hurting worse, but runs her hand through his hair soothingly. Her brother whines a little in her arms, and she shushes him gently, fluttering little kisses on his face until he falls back to sleep. Her expression is soft, loving, and then she turning to face Jack once more and her expression is friendly as the boys begin to gather around her too. “Da usual business, Miss. Had ta drag Race and Blink outta they’s beds, couldn’t find Crutchie’s shoe-” “Did you check under Racer’s bed? You know that boy collects things he doesn’t mean to collect.” “Hey!” “- Yeah, we’se found it undah Race’s bed.” Mary smiles in satisfaction, raising her eyebrow at Race before turning back to the others.  
She hesitates a moment before reaching out to place a hand on Jack’s arm, her expression dropping into a sincere, concerned smile. “Morris seems to be in a bad mood today, Mister Kelly.” It takes him a moment, but he pats her hand and nods, sighing. “Expected as much when we’se saw ya walkin’ ‘way from ‘im like ya was.” “Jack!” Crutchie smacks his arm as Mary’s smile falls, but quickly reappears as she catches the youngest boys looking at her. She chooses to ignore Jack, instead crouching as best as she can in order to hand her boys some flowers and ruffle their hair. “Go on now, sweethearts. I will be here when you’re done, do not worry.” She sighs as she watches the boys go, and continues about her day.

True words she had spoken, as by the sunset of the day she is still within Manhattan. She sits on the edge of a concrete half wall, feeding her baby brother the formula that was bought for him. She’s humming, a loving smile on her face as he eats. She loves him more than life itself, truly, and beyond life as well. She’s burping him when one of the boys run up to her, out of breath and bruised up. “Mush? Darlin’, what-” “You’se need ta come wit me right now, Miss Mary! Morris is soakin’ us real bad, Miss Mary, please!” In an instant Mary is up off the concrete wall, holding her brother close to her chest and setting her hand in Mush’s to be led the way. And lead he does, right to the root of the issue. Morris, her Morris, is beating up on her friends. Sure, she didn’t know all of them, didn’t talk to more than a few at a time, but they’re her boys. Not as much as her Brooklyn born boys are, of course, no would could ever replace them. But she thought… She thought Morris loved her enough to listen to her when she asked him not to touch them.  
“Morris Delancey!” Her voice echoes through the alleyway she’s caught him and his brother in with several of the other boys. When he and the others ignore her voice, she hands her baby brother off to Mush for the moment. And then she storms down the alleyway, heels and pretty dress and all dolled up, and her voice raises to a shout. “MORRIS AND OSCAR DELANCEY! MANHATTAN NEWSIES!” One last punch is thrown at each other. “I said... ENOUGH!” All movement within the alleyway stops, breathing slows. It’s as if the very air has stilled around them all, and Mary is looking like hell on heels. Her skin is bright red, her large blue eyes glassy with falling tears, and her little hands are balled into little fists.  
“Miss Mary!” Skittery is the first to approach her, running at her with Mute in tow. She scoops them both up, one on each hip, and continues down the alleyway. Both of these boys have bruises on them, and one or two cuts, but the worst out of those she can see are Romeo and Kid Blink, the two of them unconscious against the dirty brick wall. Her ringlets are already out of place, the cool wind of the evening and her own anger causing them to loosen a bit. The boys in her arms are near crying, hiding their faces in the sides of her neck, and Mary herself looks more heartbroken than angry.  
“Kelly, take the boys back to lodge and patch them up. Mush, take Edward with you, darling.”  
“You’se can’t jus’-”  
“Jackson Kelly, I said take these boys back to the lodging, now.” She doesn’t spare him a glance, giving a kiss to both Skittery and Mute’s heads, and then to her little Edward’s before she hands them off to one of the older boys. Jack doesn’t argue this time. Mary doesn’t wait until they’re all gone before she starts in on the Delancey brothers, just until the smaller ones are out of the way. “Where do you get off on thinking you can touch my boys, Mister Delancey?”  
“Oh, so they’re your boys? I thought we’se were ya boys, Mary.”  
“Oh do not you pull one over my eyes, Morris Delancey, because you know that I see it clearly. This isn’t the first time you’ve beat up my boys, Oscar, and I’d thought you were better than this, Morris. You promised me. You promised me! What use is a promise if you aren’t going to stick to it? Huh? I was willing to turn a blind eye before, Morris, was willing to believe that someone else was beatin’ them up, but you hurt my boys. My boys. I am over this, Morris. Done.”  
“Jesus, Mary, what’s ya problem? You ain’t have a issue wit dis before!”  
“Oh no, sweetheart, I had a problem with it. I just never had the strength to say it to your face. There is no me and you, Morris, not anymore. Take care of yourself.”  
She spins on her heels, joints stiff and a limp to her gait. Her breathing is a little labored, tears falling freely from her eyes as he hears him shout one last thing behind her.  
“Ain’t like I’se wanted you anyway, little miss prostitute!”  
She does her best to ignore him, truly she does. But as she gets to the entrance of the alleyway, and Jack is still standing there with Race, she can’t help the trembling of her body. She rubs at her eyes, rough and red, and leans into the two of them when arms are slung around her shoulders. “C’mon, Miss Mary... Ya boys’a worried ‘bout ya.” She feels herself get squeezed, and she does her best to smile up at them. She just barely comes up to Race’s shoulder, the same height as her dear Spot, but she finds comfort in the towering figures beside her. She holds onto them, her arms up around their waists to help ground herself. “Ya legs hurtin’ ya, Mary miss?” She manages a small smile up at Race, shaking her head a little. “Just a little, Racer. Do not you worry over me, I’m-”  
She isn’t even able to finished before she’s picked up, little body held against a warm chest while her heels are taken off. She tries to protest, really, but she doesn’t have it in her. Not with both of them looking at her like they’ll start a riot if she tries. So she gives them a gentle, tired smile and shakes her head. “You don’t have to carry me, Racer. I can walk.” “Yeah, but Spot’s’ll have me head I make ya walk wit’cha legs hurtin’ like they is.” She laughs at him, turning her head to hide her face against his shoulder, careful not to smear the small bit of makeup that’s still on her face. “Besides, doll face, we’se ain’t gonna let our goirl walk back when she’s hurtin’,” Jack starts with a sly smile and a wink. “You’se just as much’a ours as you’se Brooklyn’s now, Miss Mary. Don’t’cha fahget that, ya hear?”  
She smiles, “Yeah, I hear. I hear you, Mister Kelly.”  
She’s thankful that it doesn’t take them long to get back to the lodging, her little toes curled up from the cold of the air outside and her fingers seized up. Her joints feel like wound up springs, frozen in her bones. They’re bombarded as soon as they enter the door, and Mary wiggles in an attempt to get out of Race’s hold. “Alrigh’, okay, hold on, Mary! Gimme a moment!” He grumbles about her being like a worm, and she stops moving around, cheeks a bit red in embarrassment. The moment she’s sat in a pulled up chair, her skirts smoothed out and toes just barely brushing against the floor, her space is invaded.  
She finds herself with Mute on her lap, playing with her ringlets, and with Mush bringing her her baby brother. She takes him gratefully, a soft look on her face as she smiles at them. “Thank you, Mush. I hope he was no trouble?” “He kept coughin’, and he’s been cryin’ for ya.” Mary sighs and coos down at her brother, poking her nose against his gently and smiling when he lets out a big yawn and waves around his little arms. Mute watches, eyes large and unsure of what to do. He pokes at the baby, and Edward gurgles at him, high pitched noises leaving him happily. “Well, would you look at that? He likes you, darlin’!” Mute beams at her.  
Her gaze begins to trail around the lodge, eyes softening in concern at the sight of her boys busted up like they are. “How are they, Mush?” “They’se a bit busted, Miss Magdalen. They’se gotta rest.” “They fixed up yet?”  
Another voice joins theirs, hoarse but sounding incredibly amused. “We’se already been patched up, Miss Mary.” Romeo. Oh, Romeo. Mary’s face softens into a smile. “How are you, Romeo?”  
“I’se could be betta.”  
“I-”  
“If you’se gonna apologize, Mary Mag, then I’se gonna go back and soak dat boyfriend’a yours up.” Blink. Oh, Blink. She’s almost certain that he’s going to be the one to kill her with worry first with how much he acts up. “Oh you hush up, Blink, before I come over there and make sure you stay down.” She can hear Romeo snickering, and she turns her head to playfully narrow her eyes at him, lips pouting. “You think that doesn’t apply to you too, Romeo? Just because my legs aren’t workin’ right-”  
“Your legs? Again, Mary?” Her words are cut short by Crutchie, and she gives him a smile and a shake of her head. “Do not you worry, darlin’. I ain’t- I am fine. My joints are just a little flared up is all. How is yours?”  
“I’se doin’ jus’ fine. You need to take care of yourself, Mary.”  
“What, and miss patchin’ up you boys when you’re down like this? You know I can’t do that, Charles.”  
“You’se stubborn like a mule, Mary Magdalen.”  
“And don’t you forget it, Charles Morris.”  
Edward begins to cry, and Mute buries himself against her torso. She presses a kiss to the little boy’s head, and holds her baby brother closer. “Come here, mi pequeño bebé,” she coos at him. “What’s wrong, my sweet boy? Are you hungry again?” The moment she begins cooing at him, his tears start to slow down and he gurgles, waving his little arms at her. She giggles, rubbing her nose against his. “Silly bebito, just a little nightmare is all!” Mute claps happily in response, taking the baby’s attention as Edward copies his actions in clapping. Soon enough, they’re clapping at each other, and miss Mary is giggling up a storm, holding the two close.  
“Miss Mary? Can you’se come lay wit us?” She hears his voice teasing her, and she looks up with a smile that quickly shifts into a surprised look. When had they moved the bunks like that? “C’mon, Miss Mary, before Romeo throws a fit.” She lets herself be led to the grouping of beds, an amused smile on her face as she looks out over the few of them that decided to get in on the soon to be sleep pile. Tear tracks stain against her tan cheeks, already dry from earlier, and her eyes are puffy, but the smile that spreads across her face at the sight of these boys fighting over who’s laying where is fond and amused. Her boys.  
“But I wanna lay next to her!”  
“Tough shit, Romeo, I’se oldah!”  
“Good thing I ain’t askin’ permission from you.”  
“You little-”  
Mary’s giggling breaks through the fighting, her face turned away from them and thick hair hiding part of her smile. “You boys will be the death of me,” she sighs out fondly. “How about you lay there, Romeo? Here, take Edward for me for a minute? Now, Mute, darlin’, I need you to sit on the bed so I can get on, okay?” She presses a kiss to the small boy’s head before she adjusts the skirt of her dress and crawls her way onto the bed, wedging herself between Romeo and Blink with ease. “There we are. Now both of you are next to me, so no more arguing, alright?”  
“Yes, Miss Mary.” Sitting in between them like she is, she takes notice of how small she is compared to them. The top of her head reaches Romeo’s cheekbone when sitting, but only reaches a few centimeters above Blink’s collarbone at most. She doesn’t notice Kid grinning at Romeo over her head, nor does she notice the grin Romeo returns. Mute crawls his way into her lap, clinging to her front in the same manner as a koala, and she runs her hand through his hair with a sigh. It takes mere seconds before he’s asleep, and she looks up at the boys with a soft smile. “You two best be getting some sleep now, you hear me?” The rest of the boys are either asleep or well on their way, and the last three awake are them. Or, at least, she thinks they are.  
Crutchie and Jack watch the three of them from across the room. Mary is giggling, swatting at the two and quietly scolding them for making too much noise when they laugh. Crutchie nudges his shoulder against Jack’s, an amused quirk of his brow, and Jack nods in response. As they watch Mary lean into Blink, and then Romeo lean into her with her baby in his arms, they learn two new things. The first being that Mary would be okay again. The second?  
Blink and Romeo would stop at nothing to keep her close.


End file.
